A message posted to her official Twitter account read: “We’re sorry to inform everyone of the sad news that our wonderful and lovely Rebekah died unexpectedly on Wednesday night.”

They added: “We ask that you respect the family's privacy at this time.”

The official Big Brother Twitter account followed it up with a statement "So sad to hear that Rebekah Shelton, who appeared in #BBUK 2009 as Rodrigo Lopes, has passed away aged just 32. Our thoughts are with her friends and family, from everyone here at Big Brother UK."

However, Rebekah has since taken to Twitter to insist she's thankfully still alive and well.

In a video, she posted: "I’m not dead!!!!!! Please stop spreading this news!!!!!"

Rebekah added: "My lawyer is already working on this and this person who wants to spoil my happiness is going to pay for it!!!!!"

"I've been through to hell today," Rebekah wrote, blaming a hacker for tweeting the message from her Twitter account.

"This person can't accept that I am happy and that I overcame all my problems and I am finally living my life happy," she said.

Last year Rebekah spoke out about her struggles during transitioning.

She had told OK! Magazine: “At one point before my surgery I had to leave home, and for six months of my life I turned to prostitution. So many times I wanted to kill myself because I had no one to talk to.

“It was a big step to go full time as a woman. It’s different when you are having fun with your friends in the clubs, to changing your whole life and facing the rejection or acceptance of the world.”